Drivers vying for the top spots in the Freedom 250 IndyCar lineup participated in practice rounds and the qualifiers Saturday ahead of the high-speed Grand Prix taking place Sunday.
Before the qualifying round Saturday afternoon, drivers did practice laps around the 1.7-mile circuit that passes by the Capitol, the Washington Monument and the National Gallery of Art.
FBI Director Kash Patel said he met with the Washington Field Office’s command post to go over security measures in preparation for the more than 100,000 spectators expected to attend the event in the nation’s capital.
The main event is taking place Sunday, when 25 drivers will complete 147 laps of the circuit with a total race distance of roughly 250 miles. Drivers could reach speeds of up to 180 miles per hour, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said.
President Donald Trump is expected to kick off the race by waving a green flag. He will also take a ceremonial lap in the presidential limousine, known as “The Beast.”
The race is part of this summer’s America 250 celebrations marking the country’s semiquincentennial, which have also included the Great American State Fair and the UFC cage match at the White House.
Former Biden staffer cheers for IndyCar race
Ron Klain, former President Joe Biden’s chief of staff, praised the IndyCar race taking place in the nation’s capital this weekend, telling Politico’s “Playbook” he was “glad” to see the race.
“It's an amazing sport because it combines the heroism, courage and skill of the drivers, and then the amazing technological achievements of the cars,” Klain, a massive fan of racing, told Politico.
But when asked about Trump’s efforts to get the race in D.C., Klain praised Penske – the company leading the sponsorships of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix.
“Not only the leading sponsor of the sport and leading advocate of the sport, but now the custodian of the sport’s greatest site, the international Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” Klain said.
In photos: Spectators watch practice rounds of Freedom 250 Grand Prix
Grand Prix causes inconveniences in downtown DC
Business was not as usual in downtown Washington, D.C., Saturday as drivers participating in the Freedom 250 Grand Prix took practice laps around the circuit, the New York Times reported.
Road closures have caused heavy traffic in the nation’s capital. On X, some commuters complained about the detours backing up cars for miles. One man described the scene as “a zoo” and said he couldn’t drive more than a block within 10 minutes.
As drivers zipped around the circuit, doing practice rounds, the sound of the loud engines made it difficult to hear on-air reporters. NPR Correspondent Ava Berger wrote on an X post, “I can confirm: it’s loud.”
The National Gallery of Art, one of the sights that drivers will pass by on the circuit, conducted vibration studies and put up protective panels to reduce the exposure to outdoor sculptures, the New York Times said.
Airlines have had to reroute flights for the event. At least one school within the exclusion zone was forced to go fully remote as a result of the event.
Here's the full starting line up for Sunday's race
Full Freedom 250 Grand Prix starting lineup:
Starting positionDriver
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Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
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Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global Honda
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Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske Chevrolet
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Christian Rasmussen, Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
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Marcus Armstrong, Meyer Shank Racing Honda
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David Malukas, Team Penske Chevrolet
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Pato O'Ward, Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
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Dennis Hauger, Dale Coyne Racing Honda
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Christian Lundgaard, Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
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Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing Honda
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Caio Collet, A.J. Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet
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Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
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Will Power, Andretti Global Honda
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Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
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Marcus Ericsson, Andretti Global Honda
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Josef Newgarden, Team Penske Chevrolet
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Alexander Rossi, Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
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Louis Foster, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
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Rinus VeeKay, Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet
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Mick Schumacher, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
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Romain Grosjean, Dale Coyne Racing Honda
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Santino Ferrucci, A.J. Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet
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Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
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Sting Ray Robb, Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet
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Kyffin Simpson, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
Alex Palou wins pole position for Sunday's race
Alex Palou has won the pole position for Sunday’s Freedom 250 Grand Prix in Washington, D.C.
Qualifiers: Round 2 results
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Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global Honda
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Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske Chevrolet
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Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
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Marcus Armstrong, Meyer Shank Racing Honda
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David Malukas, Team Penske Chevrolet
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Christian Rasmussen, Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
Qualifiers: Round 1, Group 2 results
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David Malukas, Team Penske Chevrolet
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Caio Collet, A.J. Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet
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Christian Rasmussen, Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
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Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske Chevrolet
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Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
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Dennis Hauger, Dale Coyne Racing Honda
Qualifiers: Round 1, Group 1 results
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Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global Honda
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Marcus Armstrong, Meyer Shank Racing Honda
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Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
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Christian Lundgaard, Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
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Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
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Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing Honda
FBI director meets with DC field office ahead of Grand Prix
FBI Director Kash Patel said Saturday he met with the command post out of the Washington Field Office ahead of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix and touted safety measures put into place.
“FBI has a huge presence here to keep this event safe - nearly 400 personnel dedicated between Headquarters and President Trump’s DC ‘Safe and Beautiful Task Force’ to manage the security lift,” Patel wrote on X.
Among those helping keep the event safe are the Critical Incident Response team, multiple intelligence components and the Command Post operators. Patel said SWAT was on standby as well.
Qualifying round to begin soon
Drivers are getting ready to compete in the qualifying round of the Freedom 250 IndyCar series to determine the order for Sunday’s Grand Prix race.
Drivers will have six minutes to post the fastest lap time that they can. The driver with the fastest time will secure a position closer to the front for Sunday’s race.
The qualifying round is set to begin at 5 p.m. ET.